Cold Feet
by Talldi
Summary: My thoughts on the first time Gibbs and Abby became lovers. A bit AU in that I have always believed they would have become lovers much sooner than reality!;
1. Chapter 1

_A/N : One of the really great things about all Gabby lovers is we all have a picture of how things were the first time they finally became lovers. I never truly thought about writing mine down as I tend to like longer stories (not that I couldn't go on and on forever) but a suggestion made me think about it more. So here it goes, although it will probably be broken into at least 2 chapters I don't plan on it being longer. This is a little AU in that I have always seen them as being a couple much earlier in their relationship._

**Chapter 1**

Abby ran up the stairs to the bullpen. Her pigtails bobbed up and down as she dashed two at a time in her bare feet. She had decided the results from Major Mass Spec were too important for the elevator. She had already started to get ready to crash on her futon for the fourth night in a row, with her boots off when the Major had given his distinctive 'Bing'.

This case had been a real wringer in that there had been no way to connect their suspect to the victim in real time and evidence. Unfortunately you couldn't kill someone, or even send them to prison for life without some kind of evidence. Abby had often thought that quite unfair…usually after losing several nights sleep. She had even volunteered to do the shooting once which had made the Director look at her strangely.

She hit the bullpen door bar in stride and darted around Tim's divider and came to a screeching halt. No one was there. The cubicles were all dark, desk lights the only illumination. She glanced toward Gibbs desk and saw his beautiful maroon wool greatcoat flung over the bookcase behind his seat. She went over to his desk and pulling open his right hand drawer she saw his badge/ID and holster. So Gibbs was still here.

She stood uncertain wondering if her information was worth disturbing him in M-TAC. He had mentioned earlier this evening that there was a late operation he and the Director had to be at. Gibbs had looked weary and run his hand through his hair, a gesture that always made Abby want to kiss him. It was doubtful the Director would appreciate her pedicure no matter how cute the skulls were on each blood red toe. She stood uncertain chewing her lower lip with indecision.

On one hand, the results of the particulates under Seaman Gilbert's nails proved that he definitely had been in the storeroom at his neighbor George Hansen's house. On the other hand they didn't say how long they had been there. On another hand it was pretty well known that Hansen was a maniac when it came to his jealousy over his wife Anne. He had actually done time in jail nearly killing a guy who had given Anne a ride home in the midst of a bad storm. What if he had knocked poor Gilbert out and left him in the storeroom until he had time to take him to Veeder's Gorge and throw him in? Oh man, she had run out of hands and had used one twice. She was really tired.

In the meantime her feet were freezing! Perhaps her dash had been a little ill-advised. It was after all the end of January and she knew they always turned the heat down here at night after midnight. It was now 0200 hours. She moved over to Gibbs chair and in a graceful move she put herself into a lotus position and worried at a hangnail. A picture of poor Gilbert lying on the concrete floor of the storeroom struggling to get free for hours came to mind…no wait. Ducky's autopsy made note only of the particulates not that his fingertips or hands were torn up from struggle.

It had taken some on site work for her to gather material from different sites on the floor. She had tried to explain to Gibbs why it was important to search all those areas. When she had finished he had simply asked if the evidence would hurt or help the investigation. When she had said help he had sent Tim to drive and assist her with a warrant. The processing took another 24 hours. She found flour, fruit juices, Kool-Aid, pollen, fish guts, dog food, gun powder, oil both cooking and industrial, brick dust, sand and the concrete particles themselves. It was the pollen and sand that brought in the tie to Veeder's Gorge. But the other particulates under Gilbert's fingernails were in an almost exact percentage to the dirt on Hansen's storeroom floor. Got'cha ya bastard ya!

Abby nodded her head and felt a little dizzy. She was sooo tired and now she was freezing! Now she was gonna catch a chill. She might as well go back downstairs to sleep. She glanced over her shoulder at the stairs and saw the edge of Gibbs' greatcoat. She sighed; that lovely warm coat always made her want to crawl inside it with him. She turned in the chair.

Leaning forward, curious,she saw the photos tacked up on the divider. She'd never really paid attention to them before and of course Gibbs didn't volunteer. Some were obviously old, others were current. Her silver fox was in all of them. Some obviously unit pictures, others just different Marines and some Rangers clowning around and posing. Some with gear and weapons on, others not but all in uniform and all with her fox smiling or grinning. She counted slowly to herself and saw that in a lot of them his beloved sniper rifle was over his shoulder or in his arms.

"What are these all about Gibbs, Huh?" she murmured.

She reached out to touch his boyish grin in a most recent picture. This one was only a few months old. She could tell because of the large band aids covering stitches in the back of his right hand. She remembered how upset she had been when it had happened during a scuffle with a suspect. In the background was a mountain range. She felt like she should recognize it somehow.

With a sigh she picked up the heavy coat. As she drew it toward her she settled back in the chair and covered herself with it, her feet now drawn up tucked onto the edge of the chair. The coat smelled deliciously of Gibbs Polo cologne that she had given him for Christmas. He had worn it consistently ever since. Closing her eyes Abby could see his slow smile as he un-wrapped the bottle. He removed the top and sniffed. Raising a brow he had looked deeply into her eyes.

"Is this a hint Abb's? Seems pretty expensive and it smells good. You got some ideas about when I should wear this?" He drawled in a low baritone rumble to her.

Abby had been speechless with his fine azure eyes looking deeply into hers. The dance of intimacy between them had left her some ideas alright… most of them triple X rated and the active licking of his neck while she did other things to him. Moaning a little with the memory Abby settled the chair tipped back and snuggled deeper. It was almost like being held in his arms and felt safe and protected. Showering in the decom showers and sleeping on a futon was not like being at home. Thinking of her love she drifted into sleep. Her results from Major Mass Spec rested on Gibbs desk.

An hour later Gibbs came down the stairs from M-TAC. He was weary to the bone and his head ached. He needed to eat something, it happened when his blood sugar dipped low. As he hit the landing his steps slowed to a stop as he saw Abby cuddled up in his chair, head back fast asleep. He moved around the divider and putting his coffee down on the desk, quietly moved to stand next to her. He smiled as he saw she was completely covered in his greatcoat. All excepting her beautiful face.

Her porcelain skin glowed in the desk lamp light but to him she always glowed with an inner light. Her spirit was indomitable. Life was of constant interest to her. She made him see things in a less jaded light. He had been drifting back into that feeling of uselessness that he had had after the girls deaths when she had come bouncing into his life through Director Morrow.

Even in her sleep her lips seemed to smile gently. There was nothing about her he didn't love. Her quick intelligence, her driving need to know, the way she moved, her loving heart. She made him feel alive and he loved her passionately. If only…he wanted to turn away from such dangerous thoughts but could not. Instead he saw his hand reaching toward her and lightly brush the back of his fingers over her cheek.

He had to make himself happy with things as they were. They were good friends who were part of the best team NCIS had. His dreams would have to remain as they were. She certainly could not look at him in the same way. He kissed his finger tip and brushed it feather light over her full lower lip. He closed his eyes and lowered his head before slowly turning slowly away. He picked up his coffee and headed to the vending machines.

Abby's mind was racing. She had indeed been asleep but had somehow heard his step on the stairs, the slight hitch in his stride because of his damaged knee and thigh. A life time's worth of memories. Of losses, of Desert Storm, friends and his girls. He would never surrender to pain, or allow anyone to see him in discomfort at all, mental or physical. Her proud alpha male Marine. Her rock, her frriend and now finally... her lover? Her eyes now wide Abby tried to process what she had just discovered by feigning sleep.

She had been afraid he would be upset by her using his greatcoat for a cover! She hadn't expected to see him with his barriers down. The emotions on his face…if they were true she would be a fool not to move on them. The tenderness and desire she had seen there through her lashes, his gentle touch, he loved her! He felt the same things she did! Her heart was pounding. She had thought perhaps he might kiss her. When he had suddenly drawn back and turned away she had seen the naked pain and sadness in his face. It had frozen her and kept her from speaking. Now she felt herself stop reeling.

"Oh Jethro, why not? Why not us? Why the hell not! Damn it!"

Abby leapt to her feet and donned his coat. Carrying the extra length she ran toward the lunch room. As she neared it she could hear a muttered curse and a thud then the sound of dollars being fed into a machine. Letting the coat edges fall to the floor she hurried forward before she could change her mind.

Her silver fox looked very tired. Seeing her in his periphery he turned and straightened in surprise, a salad in his hand.

"Abb's! Thought you were sleepin'. You OK?"

"Oh yeah, I'm better than OK Gibbs. I am now one very certain Forensic Scientist! But I require quantitative and concrete evidence to complete my analysis. I will need assistance to finish my project and close the deal so to speak."

Abby rocked on her heels and clasped her hands in front of her beaming up at him. Her hands and arms were swamped in the sleeves of his coat making him smile. As he looked down he spotted her bare feet with their blood red nail paint. A jolt of desire went straight to his groin. His resistance was low, he was fatigued beyond belief. He blinked hard and cleared his throat.

"What's on your toes Abbs?" His voice a low growl.

"Skulls. My friend Joanna made them for me. You like 'em?"

"Oh yeah." he murmured.

He forced his gaze back up only to find her smiling widely at him. Their eyes locked.

"Ya need somethin' Abb's?" He gestured to the machine trying desperately to change his thoughts.

"Nope. Just you for my assistant. You shouldn't eat out of the machines Gibbs. Probably E coli growing amok in there. C'mon I have food downstairs. You'll be ready to eat something when we're done that's more substantial than that."

She held her hand out and he took it. She tugged him back out and toward the bullpen elevators.

"Aren't your feet cold Abb's?"

"Yup! I hope to remedy that in a minute or so."

Gibbs shook his head wearily. He had had only 2 or 3 hours of sleep in the last 3 days. Maybe he could crash on the couch in the lounge again tonight. His back hurt from trying to sleep in his chair.

Reaching her lab Gibbs was surprised to find himself being dragged toward her office. She took his coffee and salad away and put them on a counter as they went by. Reaching her office door she let go long enough to slam her hand on switches and closed and locked the lab door, turned all the lights out except her desk lamp and whirled to face him. Startled he looked around and back at her smiling face.

"What's goin' on Abby?"

"This!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Abby flung herself into Gibbs arms, her arms around his neck, her lips pressed to his. Jethro staggered as her weight crashed into him. Her warm, soft tongue stroked his lower lip and sought entrance into his mouth. Gibbs mind was staggered as well. He thought he was dreaming!

He drew away from her, unwrapping her arms from his neck then gripping her wrists with his large hands he looked into her face, his eyes wide with shock.

"Abby! What's happening? I mean…What are you doing? We can't…I mean we shouldn't! I…Why?"

Jethro was bewildered. How could this be true? She felt the way he did? All of his baggage, his history with women. There were no secrets between them, there were things she didn't know but he would never lie to her.

Sometimes the words were in his mind but he couldn't get them out. Silence had been his way of life since Shannon and Kelly died. Walls were there to keep people out, from knowing his true self. If you didn't let people in, you didn't have a problem letting them go. His grief and loneliness were a way of life. But Abby… Abby had knocked down his carefully built defenses and kicked them into bits. She had fascinated him since the first day she had stood up to him in the lab. He felt he wanted her to know him inside and out. He wanted to share her joy, her warmth, her love.

He stood in stunned silence and she looked at him with her emerald eyes shining with a light he recognized. He hadn't seen it in a long, long time. His lips parted and the expression on his face was one of wonder and hope. Abby knew then he cared for her, deeply.

She threw herself back into his arms and this time her body melted into his every curve. The warmth of her in his arms, her kiss was demanding this time. The energy that seemed to rise between them was palpable. Everything he had wanted, dreamed of, here in his arms. He responded ardently. He felt drugged and deliriously happy at the same time. When they came up for air he pressed his forehead against her and whispered her name.

"Abby…Abb's…"

He kissed her forehead, her brows, her eyes. Her hands fisted in his shirt. She looked earnestly up into his fine azure eyes.

"I love you Jethro. I've loved you forever. I'm so tired of pretending. I'm tired of sleeping without you in my arms. We're not just friends Jethro. We're meant to be together. We can be both friends and lovers. Friends know each other, warts and all. Well no more Marine! No more! D'you hear me? I want to spend the rest of my life knowing you'll always come home to me. That the woman in your mind and in your thoughts of desire is me! I know Shannon was first… She taught you how to love, what you are capable of. It doesn't matter to me if Shannon and Kelly share your heart with me. There's room for me in there, I know it! She wouldn't want you to be alone. She knows how much you need to be loved. I want to be there for you. I want you to be there for me! Not as a friend but as my mate. Can you do that? Can you let me in? It's up to you now."

Gibbs stood looking at her, the plea in her spectacular eyes so very clear. He felt his body respond even as his own passion flared from sparks to a raging inferno.

His voice was hoarse as he answered her the only way he could.

"I love you too Abby."

The joy in her face lit her entire being. Jethro took her into his arms and kissed her then. The kiss went on and on as their tongues dueled. Her taste was intoxicating, the scent of her in his arms - her hair, her skin, the essence of all that was _her_ there for him alone. There were indeed Angels. One was here in his arms.

For Abby it was the same. His hands slid under her shirt and lab coat. Up and over her breasts where they lay hidden behind the soft silk of her bra, her nipples hardening to peaks. She moaned into his mouth and felt the deep answering growl in his chest. It vibrated right through her into her core. The throbbing between her legs was almost unbearable. She scraped her fingernails lightly across his neck and pressed her lips to the side of his neck. She felt him shudder. Abby drew him down onto the futon. She needed him to be hers. Hers alone.

Their kisses were fevered. Gibbs wanted to taste every inch of her but at the same time he wanted to be buried inside of her and making her his. Every stroke of his tongue brought him higher and more close to completion. He held his weight on his forearms and ground his hips into hers. Abby was certain it was instinctual, primal. Both of them were longing to mate. Gibbs suddenly withdrew from her arms, raising up onto his knees. Abby whimpered in frustration and held her arms up to him.

"Abb's, my Abby. Wait Love, just a minute…"

He crossed his arms and quickly drew his shirts off and tossed them aside. He didn't care where they went. He leaned into her and savaged her mouth. Rearing back yet again, his hands fell to his waist. Abby suddenly sat up and undid his belt and slacks for him. As she pushed them down he groaned deeply as the cloth passed over his erection. Abby bit her bottom lip and reaching down she stroked his swollen member. Gibbs head fell back and a low cry of need came from his lips. He thrust helplessly into her hands. Finally he grabbed her hands before she lowered her mouth to him. He moved swiftly to push up over her and kicked his pants and boxers down and off. He lay down beside her.

"Abb's, need you… so bad." He gasped.

Abby fell back and Gibbs reached to pull her pants down. He kissed her forcefully sliding his fingers down the front of her thong. She was fully wet and the scent of her arousal sent another primitive growl through him. He thrust against her thigh and she gave a low cry of his name.

"Gibbs! Oh God please!"

Her back arched. He slid his fingers into her and gasped at her wetness. She was more than ready for him. Her thong was quickly ripped off and disposed of. He knelt up over her as he suckled her taste from his fingers. Moaning his eyes closed he stroked himself. Abby gasped her eyes wide. She had never seen anything so erotic and sensual in her life. She had never even fantasized of such a thing. Crying out she begged him inarticulately.

There was nothing left but a wild and primitive need. Gibbs came to her lowering himself down onto her, his cock slid through her soaking folds and into her body.

Abby cried out in joy and lust, her back arched as she drove her hips up to meet his second thrust. Settled in her heat and wetness Jethro fought the need to drive himself mercilessly into her. This would not be a long love making, not this time, but he knew if he moved now he would come. He wanted to come with her, be a part of her energy, her essence. The room was filled with their moans and low cries of pleasure and ecstasy.

Her mouth and teeth nipped their way down his sensitive neck and he melted into her, a low cry from his lips and throat. She moaned with each thrust as he grunted. He traced his tongue over her collarbone and down over the swell of her breast. His teeth nipped her and he suckled hard enough to draw blood to the surface marking her as his own.

Never being one to just submit Abby gave as much as she got. She marked him as her own with an equal mark on his shoulder near the base of his neck.

After a moment he kissed her and began to thrust in a slow, deep rhythm. After a few thrusts he was gasping with need. Abby felt the same building pressure within her. She lifted one leg up and put it wide shifting her position and applying still more pressure on her clit with each of his thrusts.

Within three thrusts she climaxed with a scream, vaguely aware that Jethro was crying out as well. His seed spilled deep and hot inside her. Together they blended into the white hot power of their orgasm, their energies moving powerfully through them. She knew as she spiraled up and up that he was with her mind, body and spirit fused. As it should be.

It took some time before reality came back. Jethro became aware he was collapsed on top of Abby, his face pressed in the hollow between her throat and shoulder. He had lost all control coming with her. Such a thing hadn't happened to him in many years. He had always moved off of his wives and lovers after orgasm, except for Shannon. She had been the sole exception, refusing to allow him to leave her. She insisted keeping him with her made the "mandatory post lovemaking lovemaking" easier. Their pillow talk always was a pure and loving time. Their stress relieved it was easier to talk about the days frustrations, to make plans…

In contrast Diane had never been happy. It didn't matter what he did for her, she was entitled, because he was "never around". She said he was "too heavy" if he didn't get right out of her body and off afterward. He usually ended up in the basement as she didn't want to even temporarily call truce of her demands and share the bed. He had just assumed with the others and with all of his lovers since. Now alarmed he made as if to move off of her.

Abby felt the tension in his muscles and opened her eyes to find out why. When she realized he was leaving her, she quickly locked her ankles behind him and tightened her arms around his neck. Jethro heard a muffled "NO!" against his chest.

"Don't want to suffocate you Babe. I'm heavy." He kissed her forehead.

"You most certainly are not! You must have had some lousy lovers. Your tight ass will be enough to keep you on top of me forever as far as I'm concerned!I'm a big girl I don't crush easily."

"Oh really?" Gibbs lowered his mouth to hers so pleased she still wanted him.

As they kissed Abby felt her body tremble and aftershocks run through her. Jethro felt it too. He groaned as her vaginal muscles milked his still semi erect cock. He moved his hips against her not moving out of her but bringing pressure to her clit. Abby moaned at first, then as the pressure built again she gave soft cries, and then began to writhe beneath him.

Gibbs found himself growing excited by her responsiveness to him. He was beyond fucking her in the traditional sense but he could give her further relief and feel the result of her pleasure. He nipped and licked his way down her throat to her breast. He suckled her rose tipped nipple, then taking it carefully in between his teeth he nipped it. At the same time he moved his hips hard into her pelvis and against her clit.

Abby shrieked and her back bowed, her hips grinding into him. He rode her, groaning as he felt her contractions. He kept the pressure up until she collapsed to the futon beneath her. He continued to kiss and lick her, slowly moving back up to her mouth. He waited until her breathing became easier; holding her face between his big hands he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply. When they separated he smiled down at her. She smiled up at him and stretched cat like beneath him.

"Wow…" she purred to him.

"Mmmmn" he growled back at her.

"Gibbs," she said softly and stroked his cheek.

"Don't you think we're past the last name stage?" He nuzzled her neck gently.

"Jethro…I like that." They kissed again.

He rolled her to her side still holding her snuggly against him.

"This changes everything… I'm so glad..." she said to him softly. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too. Abb's I want to ask ya' something though." He looked away for a second.

Abby looked at him with a slight frown. She stroked his face and brought his chin up and touched his lips lightly.

"Jethro?"

His voice was hesitant, low and husky as he answered, his eyes looked deeply into hers.

"Why Abb's? Why do you love me? I suck at relationships. I'm a perfectionist and a driven bastard at times. I have more than just a lot of rough water under the bridge! I don't talk about my feelings easily. I'm more comfortable with a gun than I am being politically correct. I'm stubborn and hardheaded. I'm gonna frustrate the hell out of ya."

Abby leaned in a kissed his lips lightly. She drew back and gazed at him.

"Are you done tearing yourself down now?"

"I guess so." He said with a sigh.

"Ok. Seems like you just did a really good job with expressing yourself Jethro. I enjoyed everything we did together; it was obviously done with a lot of love on both our parts."

"Yeah, it was. But I also didn't have to talk!"

Abby kissed him again her smile soft and eyes hazy with love. She ran her fingers through his bangs, then traced the back of her fingers down his arm. He closed his eyes and shivered.

"We talk all the time Jethro. We're friends. Friends talk, they share things. They have things in common. We do. We're just really, really lucky because we fell in love. Do you disagree?"

"No, no I love you. I do. You do know me…"

"Listen. Sometimes I'm not gonna talk. Sometimes it'll be you. You'll wonder why I'm not talking, you'll ask me. Sometimes I'll ask you. We will never, ever go to bed angry with each other. It's a rule my Mom had with my Dad. It worked for them for 42 years. If the reason we're not talking has nothing to do with each other we'll back off until we want to talk it out. OK? Agreed?"

Jethro smiled and nodded his head firmly. Abby beamed at him.

"Ok." he said gently to her. "I can do that."

"Good! So kiss me and let's get some sleep before the janitor comes in at 0600."

"It's Sunday Abb's. No janitor. I sent the team home for the day. Fresh start on Monday. We can sleep 'til we wake up and then maybe breakfast at the diner? I can bring you to get a change of clothes and you can come over to the house. I want you in my bed."

"Oh very Special Agent Gibbs…I think you hit on a plan. Pull the blankets over OK? They're right on the desk."

Gibbs grabbed the blankets and arranged them over their nude bodies. He had no intention of allowing clothing to be between them, ever! They snuggled in and spooned together. Abby held his arms tightly around her. Gibbs fell almost instantly asleep. As she drifted toward sleep, hearing and feeling his deep breaths against her neck, she realized something. Her feet were warm!

;)


End file.
